2021 ASBK Finale – Timed Practice Report

The ASBK paddock woke up to a few more clouds this morning than yesterday but conditions were still pretty much perfect to go motorcycle racing. Temperatures had nudged towards 30-degrees on Friday while the track temperature peaked around 50-degrees as the action also hotted up on track. Conditions were expected to be much the same for qualifying today, and also for the races on Sunday. Saturday morning though was a little cooler than expected with track temperatures below 30-degrees.

The likes of Jack Miller and Josh Hook has used Friday’s three sessions to get their head around The Bend.  There are numerous different lay-outs used here at The Bend Motorsport Park but it is the 4.95 kilometre ‘International Circuit’ used for ASBK.

Many competitors were under the 1m52.875 race lap record on Friday as championship leader ended the day quickest on the Boost Mobile Ducati V4 R, Maxwell’s 1m51.686 pipping local privateers Arthur Sissis and Daniel Falzon for Friday bragging rights.

The qualifying lap record here was set in 2019 by Mike Jones but the DesmoSport Ducati rider is not present at the event due to his choice not to get vaccinated. His 1m51.220 pole lap had come on the Ducati 1299 Panigale Final Edition.  2019 was the last time the series visited South Australia and tyre wear here was dramatic and it saw Bryan Staring come from behind on the Dunlop shod BCperformance Kawasaki to win all three races. The Dunlops displayed a significant advantage on the abrasive fresh surface but Pirelli and Michelin are confident they have closed that gap and now have tyres that will go the 11-lap race distance come race day. While that is less than half the race distance Jack Miller is accustomed to racing in MotoGP, imagine how short it will feel for Hooky who is used to doing 24 Hour races!

Everyone will have an eye on tyre preservation today so as not to eat too much into their tyre allocation and many will put in the least amount of laps they can while still getting the job done and finish the session inside the top nine to graduate straight through to Q2. Those who do not make that top nine in this session will have to contest a 15-minute QP1 session at 1520, the top three in which will then join the top nine from this Timed Practice in the Q2 session that will decide the grid for Sunday’s pair of 11 lap races.

Jack Miller was the first man in the 1m51 this morning, a 1m51.991 on his first flying lap but Wayne Maxwell then crossed the stripe only seconds later to record a 1m51.243 and lower the benchmark further.  Jack then came back at him straight away with a 1m51.183 to set a new fastest ever motorcycle lap of The Bend before then having a small tumble.

The MotoGP star losing the front and sliding off the circuit but quickly picked up his motorcycle and rode back to pit-lane. That time was certainly guaranteed to secure Miller automatic promotion through to Q2 so that was job done for him this morning.  Likewise Maxwell looked happy to sit on that 1m51.243 safe in the knowledge that it would be incredibly unlikely that he would get pushed outside the top nine.

Oli Bayliss then dropped into the 1m51s for the first time, a 1m51.603 to the youngster to take P3 ahead of local privateers Daniel Falzon and Arthur Sissis.  Then with 15-minutes remaining in the session both Bayliss and Falzon went quicker again. A 1m51.317 to Bayliss and 1m51.441 to Falzon.  Sissis also dropped into the 1m51s a few minutes later, a 1m51.999.

A sore Troy Herfoss then went out on circuit to try and secure his place in Q2 but the Penrite Honda man is clearly finding things a struggle here this weekend in his early comeback ride after sustaining massive hip and shoulder injuries in the previous round at Hidden Valley.  His guest team-mate for this weekend Josh Hook was in P6 ahead of Cru Halliday and Lachlan Epis.

Jack Miller headed back out on track with 12 minutes remaining in the session and put in quite a few laps, perhaps getting a feel for the bike on worn tyres and put in a series of 1m54s.

Wayne Maxwell then headed out of the pits with five-minutes remaining in the session and was immediately under Jack’s new lap record at the first split, a massive three-tenths quicker at the second split, he kept that pace through the third sector before then crossing the line to gazump Jack’s new lap record, a 1m50.924, the first ever 1m50 around The Bend goes to Wayne Maxwell! That’s quite a statement… And somewhat surprising that it came this morning, as it’s a session that is not all that important in the scheme of things.

The recovering Troy Herfoss didn’t manage to muster enough pace to earn his spot in Q2 so he will have to contest Q1 along with Anthony West and Aiden Wagner. Herfoss remarked that after yesterday on the bike he feels as though he has been run over by a train, the rigours of riding fast laps taking its toll on his healing body.

It is a Ducati 1-2-3 for the session topped by Maxwell ahead of Miller and Bayliss. Daniel Falzon fourth ahead of fellow South Australian privateer Arthur Sissis. Lachlan Epis an impressive sixth place and top BMW ahead of Josh Hook, Cru Halliday and Glenn Allerton.

The Ducati riders all clocked 306 km/h at the speed trap, 10 km/h quicker than fourth placed Daniel Falzon.

ASBK Timed Practice
Top 9 straight to Q2
Remainder to contest Q1 – Top 3 from Q1 then go through to Q2

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Australian Superbike Entry List

ASBK Superbike Championship Points

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The Bend ASBK Schedule

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ASBK TV and LiveStream Schedule

For fans unable to make it to The Bend this weekend (and there’s still time, tickets and championships-to-be-decided reasons to go!), we have options…

ASBK fans from all over the world can enjoy all the live racing action from the comfort of their own home this weekend from the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul Grand Finale at The Bend Motorsport Park.

ASBK TV official Free-to-Air broadcast partner SBS have stepped up to provide ASBK fans the opportunity to catch the livestream action from Saturday via their exclusive broadcast platform SBS On-Demand.

SBS has long been the home of great motorsport and in 2021 they have again provided ASBK race fans with both Live Free-to-Air coverage and the opportunity to catch all the action via SBS On-Demand after each round. At no cost to join, ASBK fans simply need to jump on and subscribe to SBS On-Demand.

The ASBK Championship comes to massive conclusion on Sunday and ASBK TV have all the angles covered with Free-to-Air coverage on SBS HD, SBS On-Demand or via Fox Sports Australia from 12.30pm – 3.30pm (Australian Central Daylight Times).

New Zealand race fans can catch the action on Sky Sport NZ who continue to broadcast every round of ASBK to fans across the ditch.

From the comfort of home, or on mobile devices, SBS will provide free to air coverage, and Fox Sports Australia and Sky Sport NZ will ensure pay TV viewers won’t miss a minute of the action.

Live race coverage will include the Alpinestars Superbike, Motorsports TV Supersport, Dunlop Supersport 300, Yamaha Finance R3 Cup and the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup, plus race fans will get no shortage of behind the scenes features.

Fans across the nation and around the world can also go to www.asbk.com.au and watch up to the live ASBK TV Live Stream on Sunday.

Exclusive Live telecast of the Grand Finale of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul, can be seen:

Saturday 4th December
ASBK Livestream Telecast 10.30am – 5.00pm (ACDT = SA time)

• Exclusive telecast on SBS On-Demand

Sunday 5th December
ASBK Live TV Telecast 12.30pm – 3.30pm (ACDT = SA time)

• SBS HD
• Fox Sports Australia
• Sky Sport NZ
• SBS On-Demand

Sunday 5th December
ASBK Livestream Telecast 9.30am – 4.00pm (ACDT = SA time)

Check your local guides for times and more information.

Keep up to date with the latest news on the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul via www.asbk.com.au and following ASBK on Facebook and Instagram.

Source: MCNews.com.au